Tussle
by Kayo-San
Summary: "I do not know if I am good, but I know that they are evil." Through three lenses of the three who fought and killed evil, plus a little Shi Hyun.


Back again! This one is more aptly named. Though I don't discuss the entire idea of if it is really okay to kill an innocent to save a hundred lives, I hope this piece brings out the conflict that Jang Tae Joon, Kim Do Jin and Yoo Shi Joon tussled with throughout the show. Let me change a little here and there, if nothing else, making Kang Dong Soo even more of a pacifist at the end.

* * *

"At the end of all of this… I will beg Kim Do Jin for forgiveness myself."

Jang Tae Joon knows that Yoo Shi Joon sees things he can't – too many coincidences eventually become future-telling _(not fortunes because the prosecutor never sees good futures, only evil fates.)_

He bows stiffly and hesitates before asking, "But geomsa-nim. I have a question."

Shi Joon exhales gently.

"What is it?"

"If we can sacrifice innocent lives like this… is there a limit that we cannot cross?"

He hesitates – something Jang Tae Joon has never seen the male do before – "As long as we do things for the greater good and not for personal benefit, there is no limit."

The Chief of Internal Affairs questions, pushing gently.

"What if your sister gets in the way?"

Shi Joon looks away now.

"I hope it will not come to that. We will deal with her like any other innocent, see if there are ways to go around them without killing them. But if push comes to shove, I cannot practice a double standard and let her live, compromising the final outcome."

* * *

 _(Shi Hyun's powers are weaker than his. He has to change her fate. He has to. If she dies, he's not sure what he will do.)_

He tells him, "Shi Hyun's ability to predict the future will soon exceed mine. She cannot die now. We will need her."

 _(Shi Joon knows full well that his little sister will never condone his actions.)_

* * *

Kim Do Jin is by nature non-aggressive – is it is a taken that he will not harm the people that do not need to be harmed.

When Jang Tae Joon reminds him of this, he is reassured that he is doing the right thing.

He has never seen Yoo Shi Hyun or Oh Young Shim to be a danger to him.

He kills the other man – it's that man on the ground bleeding out as Shi Hyun lays, stunned, the fire a blaze in her background.

From the shadows he watches as the prosecutor who interfered cradles the young lady whom he saved.

He wonders, just briefly, if their story will be a tragic one.

If he will be the one to sever their connection as he did to Prosecutor Min and her husband.

Of that he is guilty.

The prosecutor holds Yoo Shi Hyun against him, eyes closed in relief and _real, very real_ tears are streaming down his cheeks as the lady complains, "Oppa don't be so dramatic, I'm fine, I'm really okay."

And again.

The fear in Oh Young Shim's eyes when he looms over her.

 _(It would be so simple to kill her.)_

But that's not the point.

He hauls her up from the railing where she hung precariously.

The drop would have killed her – as Jang Tae Joon conveyed.

He saves her.

She is shaken and stunned, sitting on the balcony. For good measure, he shifts her a few more feet inwards.

 _(He is not a monster. He does not want to be a monster. He can be kind. He loved once. He has hope, he has reason and meaning in being.)_

* * *

For these reasons when his dearest, _most dear, most precious, most treasured,_ younger sister pulls a gun on him, he has to raise his in response.

 _(He's prayed so hard. To not let it come down to this. But they are here.)_

Yoo Shi Joon cannot practise double standards. He fires and for that moment – Shi Hyun's eyes widened and his heart

Bro

ke.

 _(That stupid girl did not fire.)_

* * *

The police officer, Kang Dong Soo, takes the bullet that would have killed his younger sister to his shoulder.

Yoo Shi Joon stands firm as if he's unflappable.

"Oppa…" her shocked voice echoes in the rooms before she even bothers to express concern for the officer.

 _(Something about that makes Shi Joon inwardly happy.)_

"Shi Hyun-ah. Step out of the way. Oppa cannot practise a double standard just because you're my younger sister. Not when our country is at stake. Please don't make this harder, Shi Hyun-ah."

 _(He tussles with his own standards and limits._

 _He cannot practise double standards but he cannot bring himself to kill his sister._

 _Not after seeing her eyes.)_

She saying something, instinctively covering the police officer from his view.

He spaces out.

 _a vision now?_

"No!"

His little sister shrieks as a shot echoes in the room – the leader of the Elders has fainted.

 _[The entire nation is clamouring for the Elder to stop. The ministers involved have been apprehended. The prosecution is turning on its head as the Chiefs are revealed to have been involved in this scandal that has stunned the nation._

 _The team that brought this all to light have been given special permission to do everything in their power to apprehend all those involved, regardless of position.]_

He comes back.

* * *

Shi Hyun is holding him, it's her turn to fuss over him.

His gun is melted and fused – a well-aimed bullet, the police officer dealing with the law firm CEO is sullen.

 _Oh. He didn't mean to kill me._

 _(Still. Shi Hyun's continued protectiveness makes him happy.)_

He raises a hand to her cheek.

"It's over, Shi Hyun-ah. My vision… things will work out.

* * *

He doesn't have to fight anymore.

* * *

None of them ever wanted to fight.

But they fought the good fight.

They may not have been good but they fought evil.

* * *

 _(a tussle between their morals and responsibility.)_

* * *

As always, do leave me a review to tell me there are people out there who watched Sketch and I'm not the only one wallowing in withdrawal right now :)


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